Just in time before the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, several local law enforcement agencies have received new Intoxilyzer 8000 Alcohol Breath Testing equipment, replacing older equipment used for more than 12 years.

Bend Police, Redmond Police, the Deschutes County Jail, and the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office -– La Pine all received the new units Thursday, November 16.

Each Intoxilyzer® 8000 instrument was purchased for $8,575 and utilizes a two-sample breath test sequence. The instrument is also protected from unauthorized use by requiring operators to have an operator permit and personal identification number (PIN) issued by the Department of State Police.

Oregon State Police Forensic Services Division is installing nearly 130 of the new equipment units, adding equipment at 25 locations where they previously had no breath testing units available. The additional units will help make the breath testing equipment more readily available in many areas that were underserved in the past.

Around 3,500 police officers around the State will be trained and certified to use the Intoxilyzer Model 8000 breath-testing instrument.

Following are some key facts regarding Model 8000 use in Oregon:

The Intoxilyzer® Model 8000 breath-alcohol testing instrument is being introduced into use in Oregon and will replace Intoxilyzer® Model 5000 instrumentation that has been in use for over twelve years.

Total cost for the project is in excess of 1.7 million dollars and is being paid for through funds approved by the 2005 Oregon State Legislature and grant dollars from the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Intoxilyzer® instrumentation will be installed in all County Jail facilities, as well as nearly 100 Sheriff’s Departments, Police Departments, and OSP Offices statewide.Installation began in September 2006 and will be completed statewide before Spring 2007. A total of 130 instruments will be installed statewide.

Training for police officers on new Intoxilyzer® 8000 instrumentation has already begun. Police officers responsible for enforcing Oregon’s DUII laws will receive training through a collaborative partnering between the Oregon State Police and instructors from several city police and county sheriff departments statewide.

All Intoxilyzer® 8000 instruments are owned, maintained, and certified for accuracy by the Oregon Department of State Police Forensic Services Division.

The Department of State Police is appreciative of the assistance received from the Oregon Department of Transportation, the Oregon State Sheriff’s Association, the Oregon Association of Chiefs Police, the Oregon District Attorney’s Association, the Office of Administrative Hearings, and the Oregon Department of Justice in developing and implementing the Intoxilyzer® 8000 program.

The Intoxilyzer® 8000 was introduced into the market in 2003 and is manufactured by CMI, Inc., based in Owensboro, Kentucky.The instrument is also approved for use by police officers in Arizona, California, Florida, Mississippi, Ohio, and Utah.

The Intoxilyzer® 8000 uses the same technology as, and operates similarly to, the Intoxilyzer® 5000, reducing the costs to the State associated with transitioning to the new equipment.